Hotel Zeus

The room was very clean and comfortable, with a great shower. We asked for a double but got two singles instead. The location was ideal, just a short walk from the Amphitheatre. We stayed for two nights. It would be helpful to tell people when booking or checking in that there's currently no restaurant and no breakfast buffet because of renovations.

Breakfast was good, and the location is handy for town. The hotel feels old-fashioned, though it is being upgraded a little. We had constant road noise that disturbed our sleep, plus conversations, moved furniture, and flushing toilets from adjacent rooms. Our room also smelled of cigarette smoke, which we presumed came from next door. We reported it to reception, who confirmed that all rooms are non-smoking. The lift only starts on the first floor, which isn't great if you have dodgy knees.

The staff made a small gesture I really appreciated: I'm vegetarian, and when I first asked for soy or almond milk at breakfast, they only had lactose-free milk. On the second and third mornings, the chef had almond milk waiting for me. We stayed three nights, and this is a cheap, clean, pleasant place to stay in Mérida, a little off the beaten path. There's free parking on site, plus a breakfast and dining area and a living room where you can hang out or watch TV. Our room was tidy, the bathroom worked well, and we even had a small balcony. It's about a 10-minute walk to the National Roman Art Museum and about 12-15 minutes to the Plaza de España.

Clean, with an interesting interior ;) and super nice service from everyone I spoke to. It has everything you might need for a short city stay.